Silver Wolves FTC Robotics Team Makes States

The FTC Robotics team, the Silver Wolves (#20153), recently competed in the inaugural Governor’s Cup, earning the honor to represent Pennsylvania. The team was personally selected by Governor Josh Shapiro to compete alongside 50 teams, each representing a different state. The Silver Wolves went on to win the competition with their alliance partners, Minnesota’s Team (#23521), Desoto Technix.

But how did they get to this point? The Silver Wolves began as a FIRST Lego League (FLL) team in first grade. Their original members were Brendan Connolly, Robin Connolly, Katie Connolly, William Du, and Sophie Li (now all seniors). In their final FLL season, the team qualified for the World Championship, but the event was canceled due to COVID-19. The team transitioned to First Tech Challenge (FTC) in eighth grade, making states in their very first season. They later qualified for the FTC Worlds Championship in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. Now, in their final year of FTC, the team consists of all of the original members, along with senior Madelynn Van Aken and junior Lincoln Farkas.

FTC is a robotics competition for students in grades seven though twelve. Teams design, build, and code a robot to compete in alliance-based games with season-specific challenges, while also promoting STEM and FIRST programs in their community. In preparation for the Governor’s Cup, team member Madelynn Van Aken said that the team focused on “practice and testing of autos.” “Autos,” short for autonomous, refers to the 30-second time period in a match where the robot operates entirely on its own. This period is followed by a two-minute “teleop” period, during which robots can be controlled by drivers.

Van Aken also noted that competing at the Coatesville qualifier the weekend before helped them prepare. “There are a few things we could’ve prepped for [like] the raised fields,” she said. At the Governor's Cup, the playing fields were raised to around chest level, while standard fields are typically on the ground. Many teams were not aware of this fact beforehand. Another team member, William Du, added that the team could have also started “scouting teams ahead of time, like what teams we could potentially alliance with and learn stuff from.” After qualification matches, the highest-ranking teams select alliance partners to compete together in the playoff rounds.

Because this year was the first Governor’s Cup, the team was asked about their favorite moments over the two-day-long competition. Du said that his favorite moments were “winning, the will.i.am concert, [and the chance] to meet teams all over the country.” Van Aken said she enjoyed “watching R2-D2 roll out before the match,” while Brendan Connolly’s favorite moment was “watching William dance on the big screen.” Their responses reflect the close bond the seniors team has developed throughout their years.

Next, the Silver Wolves head to the state championship on March 14-15 with other district FTC teams like the Teletubbies, Green Lemons, Two-Eyed Illuminati, Flaming Phoenix, and Cyberbears. The team’s goal is to qualify for the World Championship for a third time, especially as this is their last season of FTC. When reflecting on her final year, Van Aken mentioned that the team is “trying to make the most of everything like each competition living in the moment...enjoying all the time we have.” Connolly encouraged other students to try robotics, saying, “at the very least give it [robotics] a try,” while Du simply added: “Do robotics!” Good luck to the Silver Wolves and all district teams heading to the State Championships!